Archive for June, 2013

Have you checked out Animal Place’s new campaign website? Food for Thought encourages animal shelters to adopt an animal friendly menu policy at shelter-sponsored events. Ask your local shelters to check out the website and take the survey.

What’s inside:

Broccolini – the broccoli bolted, and then produced lovely little side shoots. We’re calling it broccolini. We wrapped it up with a few kohlrabi leaves for fun. (Most of the kohlrabi leaves were damaged last month in a frost, so just a few!)

Varna Leeks – this variety can be eaten raw in salad, or substitute this for onions in any recipe. Leeks need a little special washing, as gritty soil can be caught between layers. Check out this post for tips on cleaning leeks.

Kohlrabi – what interesting way did you use this last week? We grated ours over a salad. Be sure to peel off the tough skin.

Ripbor Kale – ruffled leaves hold up well for making kale chips. Or do raw, sautéed or even juiced.

Collard Greens – It’s sturdy, and can be used as a wrap. Cut out any thick stems.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute until softened, 3 – 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and saute, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, about 2 – 3 minutes more.Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cover partially and cook until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 15 – 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth and return the soup to the pan. (Alternatively, process with a stick blender in the pan until smooth. Reheat the soup gently over medium heat. Season with salt and white pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the sour cream and chives. Serve immediately.

Till then, you have another CSA box to enjoy and inspire some creativity! This week’s box features a new selection that you might not be familiar with: kohlrabi. The leaves are edible, but the real treat is the swollen stem. It has a texture and taste similar to a broccoli stem, but milder and sweeter. Kohlrabi can be eaten raw, pickled or cooked.

Kohlrabi plant. The bulb-like stem and leaves are edible, and delicious!

What’s inside:

Kohlrabi – a member of the brassica family, related to cabbage, broccoli, kale, collards and more.

Golden Globe Turnip – this variety tastes more like a rutabaga, and is really great mashed. Use your favorite mashed potatoes recipe, substituting this beauties for the taters.

Collard Greens – finally, we can offer you this tasty summer green. It’s sturdy, and can be used as a wrap. Cut out any thick stems.

Dino Kale – gets its name from the bumpy leaf surface resembling dinosaur skin! Also known as lacinato kale.

If you’ve visited our farm or follow the Animal Place blog, you may have met our amazing two interns, Andy and Rebecca. Your CSA would not be possible without them! They have gone from farm-curious to farm-saavy in just a few months. Later this season, you can personally thank Andy for the pumpkins and watermelons – it was his idea and motivation to further expand our fields and plant these two crops. Thanks, Andy!

Cut the kohlrabi into matchstick sized pieces or shred with a grater, whichever works best for you. I used a mandoline to julienne.

Do the same with the carrot and combine in a large bowl before adding the chopped onion.

Use a pestle and mortar to combine the sesame oil with the garlic and ginger. When you’ve achieved a nice even paste, add the sugar and other liquid ingredients. This method is optional (you can simply crush, mince, and mix), but worthwhile in my opinion as it really mixes the flavours well.

Add the liquid with the vegetables and stir until covered. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Some bad news: We really wanted to give you broccoli this spring. The plants now have beautiful yellow flowers instead of the dark green crowns we all know and love. Why? The plant experiences stress, i.e. extreme heat, and rushes to flower, set seed and ultimately reproduce. Survival of the species! What would have been superfood for you is now superfood for the bees. We fear that the cauliflower may go next.

The good news: We wanted to give you some variety in spite of the losses, so we’ve included a special treat for you this week: a guest crop of sweet potatoes from Weimar Farm (part of

Digging sweet potatoes at Weimar Farm

Weimar Center of Health and Education), certified organic and veganically grown in Placer County. Farmer Darren Greenfield says, “Growing veganically is for the ultimate good of our planet and every creature that occupies it.”

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Thank you for the positive remarks about the first box! You may notice that this week’s selection is very similar to the last. Two reasons: we want to offer you the spring produce before it succumbs to the 104 degrees forecasted for this weekend. Enjoy it while it lasts! Also, we’ve had some insect damage to two of my personal favorites, kale and collards, so we have excluded that from the box. I hope to be able to include them soon.

Too many salads? Well then, check out the recipe below for a GREEN smoothie! Perfect for a hot summer day.

Fresh Dill – try it in cooked rice or quinoa for a little something different.

Red and Gold Beets – the combination is especially eye-catching when grated

How we beat the heat, or at least try

We farmers are up at daybreak and generally take a “siesta” midday; we avoid the hottest part of the day, and return to the fields in early evening. The plants have no such option. We’ve strung up 30% shade cloth over the more sensitive greens, hoping to extend their lifespan and flavor with a little sun protection. For the potatoes, we’ve laid down a heavy mulch of grass clippings to keep out the weeds and the sunlight, which causes green spots on tubers. The heavy mulch will also reduce the soil temperature, thereby reducing the evaporation and our water usage.

Place ingredients into blender in the order above putting the bananas on the bottom. Add a little water if desired to help it liquify.

Blend for 30-45 seconds if you have a Vitamix. (If you have a regular blender you may need to break up the banana pieces into smaller chunks and blend with a little more water or a little longer depending on how strong the motor is.)

I find that having frozen fruit gets the smoothie cool enough without the need to add ice. Unless you have a Vitamix adding ice to a smoothie can make it too gritty and not very smooth to drink.